Near Fredericksburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lee's Headquarters
The Battle of Fredericksburg
— Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park —
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 25, 2008
1. Lee's Headquarters Marker
The hill in front of you, once called Telegraph Hill but now known as Lee's Hill, served as General Robert E. Lee's headquarters during the Battle of Fredericksburg. Throughout the afternoon of December 13, 1862, Lee and his generals watched uneasily as the Union army repeatedly attacked Southern troops in the Sunken Road. The Federal infantry became easy targets for Confederate artillery atop this hill and Howison Hill (a quarter mile to your left). The Union attacks failed.
The grandeur of the struggle stirred Lee, and here he uttered one of his most famous quotes, "It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it." Still, the victory at Fredericksburg little satisfied Lee - the Union army escaped damaged but intact. The enemy "suffered heavily," he later wrote his wife, "...but it did not go far enough." Lee's relentless efforts to destroy the Union army would continue.
This trail leads to Lee's command post. Although only about .25 mile long, the trail is steep. Allow 45 minutes for the roundtrip hike.
Erected 2008 by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is December 13, 1862.
Location. 38° 17.133′ N, 77°
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lee Drive: The Confederate Line (a few steps from this marker); Near Disaster (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lee's Command Post (about 400 feet away); The Battle of Fredericksburg from Lee's Hill, December, 1862 (about 400 feet away); The Pioneers (about 400 feet away); The Second Battle of Fredericksburg (about 400 feet away); Artillery on Lee's Hill (about 400 feet away); Lee's Hill, the commander's lookout (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fredericksburg.
More about this marker. The background illustration depicts Lee and his staff observing the battle.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker replaced an older marker documented in the database.
Also see . . . Lee's Hill Virtual Tour. National Park Service page. (Submitted on July 5, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 25, 2008
3. Lee's Hill Tour Stop
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 25, 2008
4. Lee's View of Fredericksburg
Late spring vegetation and over a century of changes offer a significantly more restricted field of view.
Photographed By Craig Swain, May 25, 2008
5. The Guns at Lee's Hill
Furthest from the camera is a 4.2-inch Parrott Rifle. Next to it is a Confederate 12-pounder Napoleon smoothbore. The Parrott was cast by West Point Foundry, New York and was among the largest weapons in the field gun category, and was often used in siege operations. The Napoleon pictured here was cast in Macon, Georgia as a "copy" of a Federal weapon of the same class.
Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, July 19, 2008
6. Lee's Headquarters Marker
Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, July 19, 2008
7. Lee's Headquarters Marker
Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, July 19, 2008
8. Lee's Headquarters Marker
At the top of Lee's Hill looking toward Fredericksburg
February 16, 2007
9. Lee's View of Fredericksburg
Photographed By Brandon Fletcher, July 19, 2008
10. Lee's Headquarters Marker
Picture of the top of Lee's Hill area, about 20 minutes hike.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 2,159 times since then and 61 times this year. Last updated on April 8, 2023, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1. submitted on July 5, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 2. submitted on April 12, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 5, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 6, 7, 8. submitted on July 22, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. 9. submitted on July 6, 2008. 10. submitted on July 22, 2015, by Brandon Fletcher of Chattanooga, Tennessee. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
